

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 











'^e^rince^s 









» 



/ 



COPYRIGHT 
A. C McCLURG & CO. 

1915 

PUBLISHED, NOVEMBER, 1915 
All rights reserved, including dramatization 



to -2 1915 

©CI.A414856 


b ' ( 


f 


To 

FRANCES, 

ALMA-LOUISE, 

GRAHAM 

and 

DUNCAN. 





CHAPTER I 


N a country far away, 
not so very long ago, 
there lived a young King 
and Queen who were both 
good and happy. The 
King was six feet high and 
had brown curly hair and 
laughing eyes and was 
very brave and spirited 
and merry; and the little 
Queen had red-gold hair and tender eyes and was 
very beautiful and sweet and gentle. 

In this country which was called Patrichonia, 
there had been a certain law for so long a time that 
no one could remember when it had begun — and it 
was called the Salic law. It means that a Queen 
may not rule, but that a King must sit upon the 
throne. 

The young King and Queen of Patrichonia had 
no child, and the heir-presumptive to the throne was 
[ 7 ] 



A 




THE PRINCESS JACK 


a cousin of the King’s, a very nice young man to be 
sure, but the trouble was that he said he didn’t want 
to be an “heir,” because he didn’t want to be a King. 
In fact he said he couldn’t and he wouldn’t He was 
a naturalist and he liked to spend long days out in 
the woods watching the birds and the ants and the 
butterflies and all the living things. He said he 
could not be bothered reading books on statecraft and 
learning how to rule a kingdom. 

You will see this was quite distressing, and the 
people wished very much that the King and Queen 
might have a son ; so one summer day there was great 
rejoicing in the land when the palace bells rang out 
their tidings that a child was born within. The 
cannon began to boom and all the people listened 
and counted; for, according to an old custom, there 
were to be ten shots if the child were a girl and five 
more if it were a boy. The cannon stopped at ten 
and the peoples’ faces fell a little for they remem- 
ered the old Salic law; while the King’s young cousin 
out in the woods laid himself right down on the 
ground and cried, so sad was he at the prospect, even 
though a distant one, of having to leave his precious 
beetles and be a King. 

As for the King and Queen, when they saw their 
wee daughter nestled softly in her beautiful lace- 
hung cradle, they forgot all about the Salic law or 
who should succeed to the throne and thought only 
[ 8 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




what a darling she was and how delighted and happy 
she had made them. 

Soon afterwards came the christening which was 
a very grand ceremony indeed. There were five 
bishops all in very fine robes and the tiny Princess 
was taken to the cathedral in a great golden coach 
drawn by eight white horses, and who do you think 
carried her up the long aisle? Who but the Great 
High Lord Chancellor of the Kingdom! 

It was the custom in that country for the Princes 
and Princesses of the Royal House to wear at bap- 
tism the Royal ermine robe of state; but of course 
it was far too heavy for the baby shoulders so eight 
pages bore it along behind. The little Princess 
clutched one red tassel in her tiny fist and waved it 
about with glee. During the ceremony she opened 
her big blue eyes very round and wide and made a 
little laughing sound as if it were all great fun. 
Finally the eight white horses and the golden coach 
bore her home again, and she had a bottle of nice 
warm milk just as if nothing had happened. But 
— I nearly forgot to tell you her name! It was 
Johanna Marietta Elizabeth Victoria Arabella Anne. 
Please try to remember it, for I shan’t have room to 
write it all out again, and don’t anybody ask why 
she had so many names for there isn’t any reason. 
Royal Princesses always do, that’s all. However, 
the young King, her father, always called her Jack 
for short, which was one comfort. 


[ 9 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


The little Princess Jack grew fat and rosy and 
soon she could toddle around on her short fat legs. 
She gave the lords and the ladies who had charge of 
her a great deal of trouble for she always trotted out 
of sight the minute she was unobserved and was 
uncommonly quick at getting into mischief. There 
was one thing very odd and yet very bewitching in 
the appearance of the baby Princess Jack and it 
played an important part in her destiny. The young 
Queen could sew beautifully and had made her little 
daughter some lovely white frocks all embroidery 
and lace; but the little Princess stepped on them so 
often, and toppling over was so apt to bump her 
little Royal nose, that one day the King whisked off 
the pretty dresses and popped her into funny little 
knickerbockers about ten inches long. After that 
though she certainly did not look regal she was 
much more comfortable. 


[ 10 ] 


CHAPTER II 


VERY day from ten till four, ex- 
cept Saturdays and holidays, the 
King and Queen sat upon their 
golden thrones in the great hall of 
state and ruled the people. Some- 
times their crowns and sceptres 
would grow a little heavy, and in summer time the 
royal purple robes were often rather warm. They 
were a very wise and careful King and Queen and 
governed their people in the good old-fashioned way. 

Every one who did wrong and all who had dis- 
agreements or quarrels came before the King and 
he decided what was just. This meant a great deal 
of work for the King, and sometimes it was so long 
before a case came around that the people bringing 
it forgot what they had quarrelled about. The gay 
young King could be very stern at times when it 
came to punishing some wrong-doer who had dis- 
turbed the peace or harmed his neighbor, but no 
one ever dreamed of disputing his decisions. As 
each complainant left the Royal presence, he always 
repeated solemnly: “The King’s wish is law.” 

There is not the least occasion for you to smile 
[111 





THE PRINCESS JACK 




knowingly and think to yourselves that Kings and 
Queens have parliaments and ministers and courts 
of justice, and don’t really rule at all any more. This 
King and Queen did; that is, the King ruled and the 
Queen helped him. This was the way: whenever 
a case was so complicated that even the wise young 
King’s logical mind could not reason out a fair judg- 
ment he would turn it over to the Queen, and her 
feminine intuition would enable her to decide in- 
stantly what was best to do. 

What is feminine intuition? Why, it is a delight- 
ful faculty gracious ladies possess by which, instead 
of climbing round by the slow, uninteresting path of 
reason, they arrive at a conclusion with a hop, skip 
and jump. It would be pleasant, would it not, if 
little gracious ladies could use it in arithmetic? 

You will see then, how this faculty of the Queen’s 
was of the greatest help to the King. As her decisions 
never took more than two minutes, she could dispose 
of a great many cases in the course of a day, and the 
people all trusted their beloved Queen’s intuition as 
completely as they did the good King’s reasoning. 

Sometimes the King and Queen were so busy they 
could not stop for luncheon but had only time for a 
sandwich. It was always brought on a golden plate, 
by a gorgeous footman with three more footmen 
only a little less gorgeous following behind. One 
had a tiny glass of wine, one a golden finger bowl, 
and one a beautiful lace-edged napkin. For all that, 
[ 12 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


the Queen felt a little hungry sometimes and couldn’t 
help wishing for a bit of good beefsteak, but this 
feeling she would scorn in a manner truly royal and 
keep right on ruling. It was always a great relief to 
the King and Queen when the tower clock struck 
four, and they were free to take off their crowns and 
go up to the Princess Jack’s playroom for a romp. 

Time went on, and the Princess grew bigger and 
stronger as most young children do when they have 
plenty of bread and milk and nice fresh air; and after 
a while her little white teeth came out and bigger 
ones came in and she lost her baby curves and dimples 
and grew slim and tall and supple. But, oh! what 
do you think? After that fateful day when the King 
her father popped her into trouserlings, she never 
would wear frocks at all, only knickerbockers and 
blouses exactly like a boy! The Queen protested and 
the King laughed and each year the Princess said that 
perhaps she would wear frocks the next. 

The Queen loved dearly the plays of Shakespeare 
and used to read them aloud to her little daughter, 
for of course Queens and Princesses know all the 
languages. When they came to “As You Like It,’’ 
and the Princess Jack heard how Rosalind donned 
“doublet and hose” and went forth into the Forest of 
Arden, she danced about with delight. Here was 
good authority indeed for her boys’ clothes! From 
that time on she adored the beautiful Rosalind and 
knew the whole play almost by heart. When she 
[ 13 ] 


®a.#^=4. 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


fell and hurt herself, as she often did being adventure- 
some, or when she had to be punished and was trying 
hard not to cry, she would square her little shoulders 
and thump her little chest, saying, 

“Lie there what hidden woman’s fear there 
will. 

We’ll have a swashing and a martial outside,” 
just like Rosalind. 

The Queen said that Jack’s fondness for boys’ 
clothes was really all the King’s fault for whisking 
off her pretty dresses before she was a year old; and 
the King said with a twinkle in his eye that it was a 
little bit the Queen’s fault too for reading to her 
about Rosalind; but as everybody in the palace gen- 
erally did as the Princess J ack wished, the court tailor 
continued to make her suits just as she directed. For 
winter she wore brown or green corduroys with 
leather leggings and a brown fur cap with a saucy 
red feather. Dressed like this she could tramp miles 
with her father through the snow, guns on their 
shoulders and knapsacks on their backs. 

In summer time, she told the tailor all her suits 
must be of white, and very pretty she looked with the 
soft shirt opening over her round brown throat and a 
gay red silk neckerchief knotted underneath. 

You must not think that because Jack wore 
knickerbockers and could ride and shoot and swim 
and skate and fence just like a boy, she was not a true 
maiden at heart. She loved her dollies as well as 


[ 14 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


^ ■ = 

any little girl in petticoats and brought up a large 
and troublesome family creditably. She made all 
their clothes herself, for the Queen had taught her 
to sew, and had given her a gold thimble when she 
made her first doll’s dress. 

Jack never permitted any of her daughters to 
wear boys’ clothes, however. When the Queen asked 
her why. Jack said she had tried to make a pair of 
dolls’ ^^knickers” once and found them hard to fit. 

Besides her dollies and her lessons and her sports 
Jack had one great pleasure. Every Saturday after- 
noon she paid a visit to the heir-presumptive, or 
“Cousin John” as she called him, whom she dearly 
loved. He lived in the west wing of the palace, and 
oh, such wonderful and beautiful things as he had to 
show her in his laboratory! Sometimes they would 
look through the microscope at the heart of a flower 
or the colors on a beetle’s wing, or find the tiny seed 
germ in an acorn that would one day grow to be an 
oak, or watch how a silk worm made her wonderful 
cocoon; and then afterwards she would tuck her 
small hand into his big one, and ask to go into his 
garden where there were more wonders — a beehive 
with glass sides where one could watch how the bees 
made the honey cells; another glass box full of black 
earth where one saw how angle worms crawled about 
underneath the ground and loosened the earth so that 
the seeds could grow better; and yet another box with 
a colony of ants. This was the funniest of all for the 
[ 15 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


ants seemed to be running about in a terrible hurry 
but in a silly distracted manner. Cousin John assured 
her, however, that each one knew his business and 
was going about it in the most orderly way. Jack 
thought it was a queer kind of business that would 
make one scurry up to the end of a blade of grass and 
then scurry down again, but doubtless they were tak- 
ing an ant’s-eye view of the world. 

There were all manner of birds in the garden so 
tame they would come almost up to Cousin John for 
crumbs, and some would build their nests obligingly 
low down, where little girls could see the young 
ones, if little girls could be very quiet and careful. 
And there were squirrels and chipmunks and funny 
wriggly little green snakes that disappeared into the 
long grass so fast one always thought one must have 
been mistaken, and there were even little shy field 
mice. Cousin John had shown her a nest of wee ones 
once. It was truly a wonderful garden! 

Just before time to go home (and, dear me, how 
quick six o’clock did cornel), there would be tea out 
in the summer house with delicious little cookies 
made in the shape of butterflies. Jack would pour 
out two cups and gravely ask the heir-presumptive if 
he liked one lump or two. She knew he would say 
“one,” but two were so much nicer that she always 
hoped he might change his mind. Always the birds 
and the squirrels and the “chippies” would come 
near and clamor for their share. The heir-presump- 
[ 16 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


tive had learned to sit so still that the little shy crea- 
tures didn’t mind him a bit. Jack was apt to dart 
about and scare them now and then, but they knew 
nothing could really hurt them in that wonderful 
garden so they always came back. After tea Jack 
would kiss “dear Cousin John” good-night and thank 
him “a million times,” and run back to the Queen to 
tell her all about it. 

Jack firmly believed that Cousin John was a 
magician. She often asked him about it but it did no 
good for he never would be serious. Once he told her 
that if she were not very careful he might cast a spell 
upon her and turn her into a sunbeam or a songbird 
and she would be obliged to remain in his garden 
forever. She looked alarmed at this and asked if 
he could turn people into dragons too. He said he 
wasn’t quite sure but that he thought it would be 
much easier to turn her into a sunbeam. Once when 
she asked him about being a magician he was a little 
abstracted and replied quite gravely, “No, I am not 
a magician, I am only trying to find out a few 
secrets”; but the next Saturday he took it back and 
said that perhaps he was after all. So you see there 
really was no telling. 

As she grew older, the Princess Jack was very 
fond of visiting. I don’t mean visiting in royal state 
to neighboring courts, but trotting about by herself 
to visit “her friends.” These friends of hers moved 
in all sorts and conditions of life. The most par- 
117 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




ticular were a merry grimy blacksmith who loved 
horses and who used to let her “help,” and a little bit 
of a twinkling old woman, who said she was one 
hundred and three years old. The reason she was 
surprising was not because she was one hundred and 
three, but because when Jack brought her a basket 
of sweeties she would eat them all up very fast one 
after the other until they were gone. It used to make 
Jack very uneasy, she was sure it would kill the old 
lady off some day all of a sudden; but once when 
Jack brought some nice brown bread and chicken 
broth the old lady threw them out of the window. 
She continued to thrive on her sweeties until soon she 
became one hundred and five. She said nothing 
about a hundred and four, and of course Jack was too 
polite to mention it. 

There was one big German washer-woman who 
could tell strange and exciting fairy stories. The 
Princess dearly loved to perch on the ironing board 
and listen to the adventures of dwarfs and gnomes 
and evil genii while she watched the white suds foam 
up and down. The atmosphere was apt to become 
rather warm and soapy at times, but the stories were 
so interesting that Jack didn’t mind. 

The very best friend of all was dear old Jim 
Nolan, head groom of the King’s stables. Ex-sergeant 
of English cavalry — ^Jim of the loving heart, the rich 
brogue, the wonderful knowledge of horses, the 
adoration for the Princess Jack. From Jim» Jack 
[ 18 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


learned to ride when she was so wee her fat fingers 
could hardly clasp the reins, and from Jim too came 
most of her knowledge of English. He told her 
many stories on their long rides together, stories of 
the battles he had fought, and the service he had seen 
in distant lands, while Jack listened enthralled, 
putting in an eager question now and then. She 
dearly loved and deeply admired her faithful Jim 
and the friendship between the two was very strong 
and true. 

The King had a habit of now and then dropping 
into English by way of practice, and then how 
quaintly Jim’s brogue would fall from Jack’s gay 
lips as she retold Jim’s stories! The Queen would 
pucker her forehead in a funny way she had and sigh 
a little and wonder whatever would happen if an 
English Prince should later come a-wooing; but the 
King would laugh and roll his r’s too just for fun and 
the Queen would say they were both perfectly in- 
corrigible. 

So the little Princess Jack made many friends, 
and staunch true friends they were. She went among 
her people not like a Royal Princess but like the 
happy simple little maiden that she was. They told 
her all their troubles sure that she would bring relief 
and comfort and many were the troubled hearts her 
gay young presence lightened. 


[ 19 ] 


CHAPTER III 


NE day when the Princess was 
about seventeen, a high official of 
the court brought to her a royal 
summons to appear before the King 
and receive his commands. 

The Princess was a good deal 
scared and began to wonder if she had been naughty. 
She couldn’t think of a thing, except that she had 
been down in the scullery that morning chatting with 
the pastry cook. The pastry cook was a nice round 
fat little man and had eleven children of whom Jack 
liked to hear. Also, he always made her a little 
round tart with crinkly edges, which she ate hot from 
the oven. One can like crinkly edged tarts even if 
one is seventeen. Jack knew that eating between 
meals was discouraged but not strictly forbidden, 
therefore she wondered a good deal as she walked 
slowly down the great staircase into the Hall of State 
and knelt to kiss the King’s hand. 

Oh dear! Oh dear! What do you think the sum- 
mons meant? It was far more dreadful than any- 
thing the little Princess had ever dreamt of. It 
seemed there was a Prince who would some day be a 
great King, I mean he would some day be King over 
[ 20 ] 



p= 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


a great country, and he lived not far away and he had 
heard of the Princess Jack and of her sweetness and 
beauty and of how people loved her and he had 
written to the King her father to ask her hand in 
marriage. 

You might think this was a compliment but the 
Princess Jack was much alarmed and very sorrow- 
ful. Her big eyes filled with tears and her voice 
faltered pitifully as she asked the King, still on her 
bended knee : 

“What is thy royal wish, O Sire?” 

“We have considered the matter carefully,” said 
the King, “and it is our wish that our daughter ac- 
cept this proposal of marriage.” 

“ ^The King’s wish is law’ ” — murmured the Prin- 
cess, kissing his hand again. 

This was all very stately and impressive but the 
King’s kind brown eyes looked sad and troubled. 
You see he was the King just then and Jack only one 
of his subjects. It was a sorrowful little figure that 
with lowered head backed slowly from the room; 
but when the great doors were closed behind her, it 
was an angry little figure that went flying up the 
staircase to find the dear old nurse and throw herself 
on the floor beside her, crying, 

“I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!” 

The little Princess had appeared meek and sub- 
missive but the King seemed to feel something re- 
121 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


bellious in the atmosphere. He turned anxiously to 
the Queen. 

“Do you think she will, my dear?^’ he asked. 

“I doubt it,” said the Queen. 

Dinner that evening was a gloomy affair. The 
little Princess instead of making merry jokes and 
hopping up and down to feed the parrot and begging 
to be helped twice to pudding as she generally did, 
sat sad and quiet and wept a few tears into her soup 
and declined any pudding at all. In fact she ran 
away suddenly with a little sob before the pudding 
was brought on. After that the King pushed his 
plate away and the Queen could hardly speak, the 
heir-presumptive looked bewildered and troubled 
and altogether things were very depressing. After 
dinner the King walked up and down the room for- 
getting to light his cigar, while the Queen wept gently 
over her tapestry and the heir-presumptive tried to 
read about the fashions with the paper upside down. 

Finally the King burst out with : 

“Somebody’ll have to tell her he’s coming.” 

So the Queen went upstairs very slowly and told 
the Princess Jack that the charming young Prince 
who had written the letter was coming the next day 
to make them a visit. This was bad enough to be 
sure but when the Princess learned that a white lace 
dress with a long train had been prepared for her to 
receive the young Prince then indeed her wrath and 
woe were great. It was in vain the Queen reminded 
[ 22 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


her that Rosalind put on her frocks again before her 
wedding, Jack would not listen. 

When the Queen saw in what a shocking temper 
her little daughter was she told her sternly she must 
stay by herself in her own room and reflect. It didn’t 
take long for the Princess to repent of her naughty 
conduct and soon she stole to the Queen and said 
she was sorry, and might she be forgiven? She would 
wear the white lace frock, and if the Prince were very 
nice and if she liked him very much perhaps she 
would marry him in a year. With this the good 
Queen was obliged to be content. She remembered 
wonderingly that she had not made so many “ifs” 
when her parents planned her marriage to the King, 
but then she had loved him dearly when he came 
a-wooing and that made quite a difference. 

The next afternoon the Prince arrived in a great 
state coach with out-riders and postilions and much 
tooting of horns. The Princess did not see him until 
just before dinner when she came down arrayed in 
the white lace frock looking very lovely; but I am 
afraid rather sulky. The Prince was formally pre- 
sented to her and each made a low bow. The Prince 
had a very little moustache that curled up and round, 
reminding Jack of the tails of the little pink new- 
born pigs she had been feeding that afternoon, and 
his eyes blinked when he saw her like a sleepy person 
confronted with a candle. He bowed and bowed 
and then bowed again and then once more, and each 
[ 23 ] 


g THE PRINCESS JACK , 

time he almost disappeared from sight, he was such 
a little Prince! Each said at the same instant what 
a nice day it had been, and then they went out to 
dinner. 

It must be confessed the dinner was a little stiff, 
and conversation difficult. The King had been shoot- 
ing that day and brought home a good bag, so he 
asked the Prince if he enjoyed the sport. The Prince 
replied that he considered the use of firearms im- 
prudent for an heir to the throne, whereupon the 
Princess gazed at him in puzzled surprise. The heir- 
presumptive began fumbling in his pocket for his 
spectacles as he always did when he came upon a new 
specimen. He abhorred firearms himself to be 
sure but it was not precisely for the Prince’s reason. 
A queer little expression on the King’s face made the 
Queen hasten to change the subject. She spoke of 
some recent books the publishers had sent her and 
offered to lend them to the Prince. He thanked her 
politely but with repeated bows across the corner 
of the table replied that his eyes were sometimes 
troublesome so that he very seldom read. The heir- 
presumptive took off his spectacles at this, replaced 
them in the case with a funny little snap and put them 
in his pocket as if he needed them no longer. 

In the drawing-room after dinner it wasn’t much 
better. The Princess’s manner was not encouraging. 
The truth was she was sorely disappointed in the 
Prince and kept thinking what an odd little husband 

[ 24 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


he would make. She hadn’t seen many Princes and 
she supposed they were all like her father, big and 
kingly and simple and gay. 

Little Princeling was constantly followed by a 
large English bulldog who was never four inches 
behind his master’s heels. When Princeling sat down 
dog sat down too, close by, as much as to say “Let no 
one touch him.” The Princess’s two fox terriers. 
Spring and Bounce, circled around him and barked 
frantically, but the bulldog only opened his large 
mouth smilingly, glanced at his master and took no 
notice of them whatever. He had a duty to perform 
and he intended to see it through. 

’ After sitting in silence a few moments the Prince 
suddenly rose and pulled from his pocket a little 
silver case, which with repeated bows as usual, he 
humbly offered to the Princess Jack’s attention. It 
contained a ring — a tiny dragon curiously wrought in 
gold holding a deep red ruby in its fangs. 

“I dont care much about rings,” said the Princess. 
“They are apt to get in one’s way when one is reeling 
in a fish.” 

The Prince looked a little crestfallen, but with 
another low bow (Jack had begun to count them now) 
hoped politely that he would be able to find some- 
thing more to Mademoiselle’s taste. Jack would 
have dearly liked that smiling bulldog but of course 
she could not ask, and anyway the Prince seemed to 
[ 25 ] 


1 the princess jack , 

need him. One cannot ask to be presented with an 
entire Royal body-guard! 

I am sorry to say that the Princess did not behave 
very well that evening. She kicked her white lace 
train about awkwardly, which was outrageous as she- 
perfectly well knew how to manage it. The dancing 
master had taught her under the Queen’s direction 
with one of the drawing-room portieres pinned to 
her shoulders. 

Every one was glad when the evening was over 
and Princeling’s lords-in-waiting came to escort him 
to his apartments. Before going to bed he wrote a 
few observations in his little diary. 

^^Ist. It is an odd and not altogether pleasing 
thing for princesses to wear short hair even though it 
curls in rings and is a pretty color. 

^^2nd. It is a pity when a well-brought-up young 
lady kicks her train about. 

“3rd. It is unfortunate when gentlewomen ^do 
not care much for needlework but prefer to ride and 
shoot’ 

“Query. Is it likely that these traits could be 
altered after the age of seventeen? I fear not” 

Princeling did not sleep well thinking over these 
things and about six he was suddenly awakened by 
sounds of laughter and chattering underneath his 
window. He was rather cross about it, as he always 
kept regular hours and disliked to have his rest dis- 
[ 26 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


turbed. He arose and put on a warm dressing gown 
and slippers, for he never forgot that he was heir 
to the throne and took excellent care of his health. 

A strange sight met his eyes as he looked from the 
window — a little white figure up in a cherry tree 
shaking the boughs, while underneath were a ragged 
urchin, two grooms, a gardener, and a stout old lady, 
all gathering cherries into a basket, while two fox 
terriors yapped furiously enjoying the fun. In a 
moment the little white figure jumped down from the 
tree and danced about, popping cherries into her 
mouth, hanging the double ones on the stout old 
lady’s ears, bidding some one fetch a basket so that 
the ragged one could carry home some of the fruit, 
and playing with the dogs in great delight. 

Suddenly something familiar about the gay little 
white figure struck the Prince. After a second look 
to make sure his Royal eyes saw aright he banged 
the window down and went back to bed with his 
mind much perturbed. He could sleep no more and 
as early as possible he sent a formal request for an 
audience with the King. It was granted at once, 
but before he went Princeling composed a neat 
speech which he learned by heart, for he knew from 
experience that his wits were apt to desert him at a 
critical moment. 

As soon as he reached the King’s chamber, bowing 
lower than ever be began : 

[ 27 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


“Sire: After some hours of careful thought I 
have decided upon a course of action which I am 
compelled to believe unavoidable under the circum- 
stances. You will remember that Her Royal High- 
ness, the Princess Johanna Marietta Elizabeth looked 
coldly upon my betrothal gift; I may say she repudi- 
ated it. Also, her general bearing towards me did 
not seem to indicate that respect and esteem which 
one would desire in a consort. Also,” and here 
Princeling paused and looked around him in a man- 
ner expressing pain and distress, “I was aroused from 
my slumber at an unseemly hour this morning, and 
going to the window, I beheld a sight which finally 
decided me upon the course I am about to pursue. 
Sire, I deeply regret — that I am obliged to tell you 
— that — I really cannot contemplate the possibility of 
beholding my Queen at six in the morning up in a 
cherry tree clad in — ahem — clad in — ” 

Princeling stammered, wiped his brow and came 
to a full stop. 

“Exactly, my dear young sir, I see exactly,” said 
the King. “Pray say no more about it.” He had 
tried several times before to come to Princeling’s aid 
but the twitching of the corners of his mouth pre^ 
vented. “Now let us go in to breakfast.” 

They had a cutlet together in great friendliness 
of spirit and then the great coach came around with 
its postilions and outriders and the footmen leaped 
[ 28 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


to their places and tooted their horns and little 
Princeling was whirled away home. 

I may as well tell you here, lest I forget it, that 
among the noble lords and equerries-in-waiting and 
gentlemen of the bedchamber and all the other 
grand people that accompany Princes when they go 
a-traveling, was one who rode away that morning 
with a backward look, one whom the Princess Jack 
was to see again. He was Princeling’s cousin, and 
Jack had glanced at him several times the night 
before, half shyly yet admiringly, he was so very tall 
and straight and strong and had such a merry twinkle 
in his eyel 

The Queen saw Princeling go as she sat in her 
window above and great was her consternation. She 
hurried down to hear what had happened and when 
the King told her she put her golden head down on 
his shoulder and gave him a little shake. 

“Oh Dick,” she sobbed, “Oh Dick, if I had only 
been firmer when she was a year old and you put her 
into those ridiculous “knickies,” this would never 
have happened.” 

“How about Rosalind?” said the King. “And 
anyway you didn’t want that — that — little thing for 
a son-in-law, did you my dear?” He patted her 
cheek soothingly. 

“Not — not exactly,” wept the Queen, “but it 
would have been so convenient for visiting, the King- 


[ 29 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


doms being next each other, and didn’t you think he 
was rather a nice little Prince?” 

^^No!” shouted the King, “I didn’t. I thought he 
was the queerest little fish I ever saw. I determined 
last night he should never have Jack. I was wonder- 
ing how I should tell him when he turned up this 
morning all by his little self to resign his claims.” 

The King was in quite a rage, but then he began 
to laugh as he repeated softly to himself. “ T — I — 
really can not contemplate the possibility of behold- 
ing my Queen at six in the morning up in a cherry tree 
clad in — clad in — ’ ” 

Then the King dropped into a chair and laughed 
“Ho-ho” and laughed “Ha-Ha” till the Queen had 
to smile a little too though she couldn’t imagine what 
he was talking about. The heir-presumptive who 
came in just then began to laugh from sympathy 
without knowing either what it was about, and the 
butler had to hurry from the room for fear he would 
drop his tray. 

You see the King had not had a good chance to 
laugh since the little Prince ran away. It would not 
have been polite while the Queen felt sad. So he 
laughed and laughed, and then he thought a minute 
murmuring, “up in a cherry tree — clad in — ” and 
then he laughed some more, did this great big King. 

Just then the door flew open and on the threshhold 
stood the Princess Jack. Very sweet and fresh and 
[ 30 ] 




THE^PRINCESS JACK 


fair she looked, a basket of cherries in her hand and 
dancing mischief in her eyes. 

“The darling!’’ thought the King. “That fish!” 
as he remembered the Prince; but he looked very 
stern indeed to see what Jack would say. 

She came tripping in demurely glancing from 
under her lashes at the King. There must have been 
a little twinkle in his eye for she suddenly sang out 
joyfully — 

“He’s gone, Papa, he’s gone away home. I saw 
him go, I did indeed, and he had a muffler ’round his 
head and two foot warmers in the coach this lovely 
May morning — ” 

She stopped suddenly, for the King looked very 
stern indeed and the twinkle had disappeared. 

“I — I — I am afraid it was my fault that he 
went,” she faltered, “but I didn’t mean to I truly 
didn’t. It was this way you see. I waked up very 
early and I heard the robins singing and I knew 
they were gobbling up all those big black cherries 
on the tree in the East garden so I waked up nurse 
and she was so sleepy she wouldn’t come at first 
but I made her and we got Jim and Ned from 
the stables you know and the gardener’s boy was 
there too and I invited a nice little boy I saw peeping 
in through the gate and we were all having a lovely 
time when suddenly I heard a window go up and if 
there wasn’t the Prince with a nightcap on and the 
tassel over one eye! He looked out once and then 
[ 31 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




he screwed in a monocle and looked out again. He 
was so funny I could hardly keep from laughing, 
but I called out quite politely, ^shall I throw you up 
some cherries?’ but he banged the window down 
very rudely; and then nurse put her apron over her 
head in the most ridiculous way and began pointing 
at my suit and wailing out ‘Oh dear, oh me, you’ve 
spoiled it all!’ 

“ ‘Why? They’ll all wash out,’ I said, for I 
thought she was a funny old silly to make such a fuss 
about a few cherry stains, but she kept right on 
pointing and wailing — ‘The alliance,’ she said, 
‘You’ve spoiled the great alliance,’ and then I under- 
stood. But oh Mamma you didn’t want me to put 
on that white lace dress again this morning did you? 
I couldn’t to get cherries in and I didn’t know the 
Prince was lodged in the East wing and was going 
to pop his window up just that minute. I suppose 
the dogs waked him up. They barked a lot but oh 
Mammy he’s gone, and he’ll never come back any 
more — ” and she seized the Queen around the waist 
and waltzed her up and down the room giving the 
heir-presumptive’s cheek a quick little kiss as she 
flew by and demanding to know if he could bow as 
low as the Prince if he practised for a year. Then 
suddenly coming up to the King she made a very low 
obeisance so that her pretty nose nearly touched her 
knees and holding up a cherry said mincingly : 

[ 32 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


“ ‘Will Mademoiselle have the gracious kindness 
to cast one little glance upon the ring which I have 
brought?’ ” 

The imitation was so perfect that the King’s great 
jolly laugh rang out and he and the Queen and the 
little Princess and Cousin John all made merry to- 
gether and thought no more of Princeling nor of the 
great alliance. 


[ 33 ] 


CHAPTER IV 


HERE’S more to tell about the 
heir-presumptive, dear old “Cousin 
John.” 

Long ago he had been per- 
suaded that it was his duty to learn 
how to rule. So he agreed to study 
hard every morning if they wouldn’t bother him in 
the afternoon. They provided him with a set of 
books entitled, “How To Be A Good King.” There 
were thirty volumes and as he had to learn them by 
heart you will see it was quite an undertaking. 

It was thought well for him to come to the Hall 
of State occasionally while the King ruled so as to 
see how it was done. A third throne was built for 
him a little lower than the King’s and Queen’s, and 
there he used to come and sit and try to listen. He 
knew how to reason pretty well himself, so he could 
understand the King’s judgments, but when the 
Queen jumped at a conclusion and decided who was 
to be punished and who not, or how to divide fairly a 
piece of land that two people were quarreling over 
without so much as stopping to hear all the facts in 
the case, it made the heir-presumptive’s head ache. 

[ 34 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


He would wonder miserably if he would ever be able 
to do it at all. 

He was apt to look a little melancholy and inat- 
tentive now and then, and this annoyed the King as 
much as such a kindly person could be annoyed. 
Then too, the heir-presumptive was not in the least 
a kingly figure. His shoulders stooped from work- 
ing in the laboratory and he wore gold-rimmed spec- 
tacles on the end of his nose, looking over them in a 
funny way whenever he wanted to see anything fur- 
ther off than a book or a microscope. He had an 
absent-minded way of running his fingers through 
his hair and making it stand straight up on top, and 
when one could not keep from laughing a little he 
would smile gently and sweetly in response and go 
right on thinking without really noticing. 

Although the people were not quite sure what 
kind of a King he would make they loved him dearly 
for he was a good and generous man. He had a large 
fortune with which he built a great museum free to 
every one, and in it placed his own great collection of 
stuffed animals and birds and fishes and also min- 
erals and ores and beautiful shells. And there was 
a stately vaulted library where could be found all 
the books which wise men had written on subjects of 
natural history. And there was a free school where 
young lads might learn to become botanists or geolo- 
gists or foresters or mineralogists or biologists. 

[ 35 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


It was a very interesting school. Almost all of 
the lessons about animals and insects and flowers and 
plants were held in the garden, which was an even 
more astonishing garden than the heir-presumptive’s 
own, and at four o’clock every afternoon there were 
tea and butterfly cakes just as the Princess and Cousin 
John used to have them. Then there was a farm 
where the boys learned to mix strange chemicals with 
the soil so as to make it yield larger and richer har- 
vests, and how to make the fruits and vegetables big- 
ger and finer, or even grow a new fruit by grafting a 
cutting of one kind of tree on to another. It was 
such fun to study at this school and the boys used to 
get so absorbed in experimenting that the teachers 
had to make the sternest kind of rules about playing 
football. And if a boy wouldn’t stop at four o’clock 
and go and play he was given a very bad mark and 
had to play twice as long the next day. 

The heir-presumptive was the honorary master 
of the school, and how the boys would cheer when 
he came to pay a visit! Once in a while the Princess 
Jack would come too, and then the real head-master 
would tell the boys that they might be excused from 
playing that day, as his Royal Highness, the heir- 
presumptive, the honorary head-master, would con- 
duct the experiments. The real head-master was 
obliged to do this as when the honorary head-master 
got started there was no telling when he would stop. 
It is not hard to understand why the people loved 
[ 36 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


the heir-presumptive even though he wore spectacles 
and had not a kingly look, nevertheless they were 
troubled. 

With the simple system of ruling in vogue in 
Patrichonia is was of course highly important a good 
and wise man sit upon the throne, and that he be 
conversant with all the wisdom contained in the 
thirty volumes, entitled “How To Be A Good King.’’ 
It will be recalled that each person who submitted 
a difficulty to the King murmured as he left the Pres- 
ence Chamber, “The King’s wish is law.” 

They had asked themselves the question “What if 
the wish were a bad wish?” and had answered with 
the simplicity that was their most striking charac- 
teristic, “Then we would not allow it to be law.” 
Once a traveler from another country, where they 
managed things differently, had visited Patrichonia 
and had caused a great deal of talk by the questions 
he asked. One of them was, “What if a good king 
had a bad son?” The people had answered, “Then 
we should find it out and not allow him to be crowned 
with our beautiful golden crown.” 

The traveler was crafty, so he said to them, “But 
isn’t the wisdom of ten thousand people who wear 
hats greater than the wisdom of one who wears a 
crown?” and the people said, “Maybe — but what if 
the ten thousand people spend so much time disagree- 
ing that hardly any is left for ruling?” 

[ 37 ] 


the princess jack ^ 

The traveler wrapped this thought up carefully 
and took it back to his hotel and slept with it under 
his pillow and in the morning he went into the market 
place where everybody came to discuss these things, 
and he climbed up on a soap box and he said, ‘T find 
that you have considered the question of ruling more 
deeply than I at first thought. You seem to be fully 
aware that you are ruled by a despot, but since you 
are at such pains to be sure he is a good and wise 
despot before you let him put on his head your beau- 
tiful golden crown, I will say no more. Good-day,” 
and he started to step off the soap box, but some- 
body called out “Tell us how you do in your coun- 
try.” The traveler looked embarrassed, but there 
seemed no help for it but to get up again. “We listen 
to the voice of the people,” he began. “All at once?” 
he was asked — and then from another quarter, “Is it 
one voice?” This was disconcerting but there was no 
time to go home and sleep on it. “If you will be 
patient and not interrupt. I’ll explain,” said the trav- 
eler, and everybody listened politely. 

“All who are grown up and wear their hair cut 
short and trousers on their legs have a voice,” he 
said, trying to be clear, and the crowd began to 
say “But why — ” and then remembered they were not 
to interrupt. 

“In some parts of the country those who wear 
long hair and petticoats on their legs have a voice, 
in some other parts they have not,” he went on, and 
[ 38 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


the people looked at each other in great amazement. 
“A voice is called a vote, and a vote is a piece of 
paper with a name of a person on it, put in a box 
to be counted. The persons whose names are on the 
votes oftenest all get together and talk, and when they 
have talked enough, what they say becomes law. 
Now do you understand?” 

By this time the crowd had thinned out and those 
who were left complained of headache. So the trav- 
eler hopped down off the soap box and hurried to 
catch a train to take him home. 

Next morning in the market place the principal 
thing to be heard was ^‘Now why do you suppose 
the people who wear petticoats on their legs are 
dumb?” ^^You’re all wrong,” another would say, “It 
is only in some places they are dumb.” Then another, 
“That person said, ^the people’s voice,’ so there can’t 
be any dumb.” 

All the vegetables were left to wilt in the sun 
while the people discussed these things. Upon one 
thing they agreed, they liked their way best, but they 
decided to ask the heir-presumptive several questions 
before they put upon his head the golden crown. 


[ 39 ] 


CHAPTER V 


NE day when the Princess Jack and 
Jim Nolan were riding far from 
home something very exciting befell 
them. They were attacked by a 
robber band; or^ more properly 
speaking, by a robber chieftain, for 
the “band” did not appear till later. Jack had often 
read about robber bands and felt little shivers go up 
and down her spine as she thought of their desperate 
deeds, but she never had the least expectation of 
meeting one. 

When on a memorable summer morning as she 
and Jim were riding along a quiet mountain road a 
tall man on horseback suddenly appeared from no- 
where and pulling his horse up directly in front of 
them commanded them to halt, she was very much 
surprised ; very indignant too, for Princesses are more 
in the habit of issuing than receiving commands, and 
the man’s manner Jack thought was to say the least 
presuming. 

Her head went up high and her eyes flashed. 

“Stand back!” said Jim in a very stern and royal 
way and Jack knew he was just going to add, “The 
Princess passes” when the man slowly raised his hand 
[ 40 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


P 




as if to command silence and both she and Jim, to 
her great surpise when she thought of it afterwards, 
obeyed. 

‘‘Make no resistance and you will be unharmed,” 
said the man, while Jack thought, “That’s the way 
they always begin,” and Jim’s hand went quickly to 
his side as if to find a sword hilt. 

“I and my companions,” the man went on, waving 
his hand towards the bushes as if there might be 
dozens more desperadoes only awaiting a signal to 
spring out, “take prisoner the Princess Johanna Mari- 
etta and will hold her for a ransom of a million 
pounds in gold.” 

“My goodness!” thought Jack, “I am certainly 
dreaming. It is just exactly like that story Cousin 
John gave me the Christmas before last,” and she 
gazed fixedly at the robber chief to make quite sure 
he was real. 

He turned to Jim Nolan and spoke in a very real 
voice. 

“You,” he said, “may return to the palace and tell 
the King that his brother-ruler the King of these 
mountain fastnesses, has taken prisoner his daughter. 
And don’t forget about the million pounds in gold,” 
he added with what certainly looked like a wink, 
“and tell him too that his daughter the Princess will 
be well treated unless the ransom be refused, in which 
case — ” 


[ 41 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




He stopped suddenly with a fearful look while 
Jack saw a vision of herself popped into a kettle of 
boiling oil. Then he made a polite bow and waited. 

Jack shot a quick glance at Jim Nolan. She 
thought that perhaps the man might be a little crazy 
but Jim’s teeth were set and his rugged face was 
white. Oh dear, oh dear! this was much less com- 
fortable than sitting by a cozy fire with a story book! 
She saw that Jim was about to spring forward, and 
touching his sleeve quickly her merry laugh rang 
out: 

“Faith! he takes me for the Princess Johanna 
Marietta,” she cried, little Jack Nolan lately 
come over from the old counthree to help his old 
uncle take care of the King’s horses; me, a Princess 
of the realm and worth a million pounds in gold! 
Oh my! Oh my!” and Jack rocked back and forth 
on her horse and laughed till she cried and punched 
Jim Nolan in the ribs with a meaning punch so he 
laughed too. 

The robber chief looked bewildered. He did not 
understand what she said of course as she was talking 
English, but he did not like her laughing in that 
ridiculous way for he had expected her to pale with 
fright. 

Jim Nolan’s wits were quick. He took the cue 
and translated what Jack had said, and then you 
should have heard the amazing rigmarole of fact 
and fancy mingled he poured forth on his own 

[ 42 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


account to that astonished robber chief! Jack had 
much ado to keep her countenance as she heard bits 
about herself, her love of horses, her daring riding, 
her devotion to Jim, all laid at the door of the ‘‘little 
Irish lad from County Killarney,” who was so “fond 
of his old uncle he never could be kept at home.” 
Of course her role was to appear not to understand, 
so she sat by and looked from one to the other with 
round uncomprehending eyes in which there shone 
not one ray to indicate the excited tumult within. 

The robber chief who was perhaps more brave 
than clever was quite uncertain what to do. He 
began to think he had been hasty. He did not want 
to risk getting himself into trouble by seizing a slip 
of a groom attached to the Royal stables, thereby 
attracting the Royal attention to his own question- 
able means of livelihood. But on the other hand, 
what if this were a ruse? He had heard that the 
Princess Johanna Marietta always dressed like a boy 
and rode astride. When a few moments before he 
had recognized Jim Nolan’s Royal livery, he had 
jumped to the conclusion his companion was the 
Princess, but now it would appear he was mistaken. 

Jack caught the wavering expression on the rob- 
ber’s face. 

“Faith Jim,” she sang out, “Niver mind about me 
deeds of prowess. Don’t ye see the gintleman’s not 
inthrested? But tell him for me I’ll be goin’ wid 
him wid pleasure if he’ll raise me wages. It’s none 
[ 43 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


too much Fm a gettin’ where I am, and it’s a foine 
time Fd be havin’ a-jinin’ of a robber band, a-foragin’ 
and a-maraudin’ an’ arrestin’ young princesses; but 
tell him, too, it’s a great big appetite I have and ax 
him if the King of the mountain fastnesses feeds his 
men as well as the King down yonder in the valley 
the which I’m servin’ now.” 

Jim again translated and the robber chief watch- 
ing Jack’s shoulders shake with laughter, gave up all 
idea that she was the Princess and suddenly experi- 
enced a mighty rage. He had a feeling he was not 
being taken seriously, and nobody likes that sensation, 
least of all a haughty robber chief; so he blew a shrill 
whistle to call his men, making Jack again think of 
story books, leaped off his horse, and letting Jack 
alone as a troublesome imp of no importance seized 
the bridle of Jim Nolan’s horse crying out, 

“Let the boy go then to spread the news the King’s 
head groom is killed.” 

This was utterly reckless of course but he was 
very angry. He wanted to command attention and 
he did for Jack stopped laughing and in an instant 
was off her horse darting towards Jim. Jim was 
on his feet and the two men closed and fought and 
swayed in a grip which meant death, Jim calling to 
her, 

“For God’s sake, mount and run!” 

Jack knew that Jim’s strength was no longer what 
it had been and in a passion of fear for his safety 

[ 44 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


as she saw him totter she suddenly whipped out a 
little hunting knife she carried and stabbed the rob- 
ber chief. It was only in the arm, but the blood flowed 
and it looked bad. The chief staggered back and let 
go his hold of Jim giving a sharp cry of pain. 

Jack was so scared at what she had done and so 
thankful the fight was over and Jim unhurt she was 
all tenderness and pity and was about to run for 
water and offer to bind up the arm when Jim seized 
her, forcing her on her horse and bidding her again 
to “mount and run.” He flung himself into his own 
saddle and off they flew and none too soon for several 
men came running in response to their master’s call. 

Pursuit was useless for the King’s blooded horses 
fairly flew, so the robbers bent their energies upon 
their wounded chief. The last J ack saw he was being 
held firmly down between two men while a third 
bound up his arm. He was positively growling with 
rage calling out fierce commands to his men to ride 
after and retake his “prisoners.” As the chief’s horse 
had trotted off and the band had no others, at least 
none on hand, this was obviously impossible. 

The Princess and Jim never drew rein until they 
reached the palace gate, and then Jack sat down in 
the courtyard and cried and cried to think she had 
hurt the robber chief, while you can imagine how 
Jim adored the brave little Princess who had saved 
his life. 


[ 45 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




It was a most exciting adventure, and when the 
King heard about it he sent guards out in every direc- 
tion. The robber chief must have recovered very 
quickly for he could not be found. And indeed the 
whole band retired so far into their mountain fast- 
nesses after that they were not seen again for many 
a long day. Perhaps the haughty chieftain was afraid 
of being laughed at by some slip of a saucy boy. The 
adventure served to knit the friendship between the 
Princess and Jim Nolan still more deeply, and the 
exciting moments of the fight were to recur vividly 
to Jack’s mind at a future date bearing their message 
of daring to a spirit already high. 


146 ] 


CHAPTER VI 


YEAR or two after this, when the 
Princess Jack was about nineteen, 
there came a time when there were 
no gaieties at the palace. The good 
King looked troubled and anxious 
and would sit with his counselors 
far into the night over maps and papers. When 
the Princess Jack asked what it all meant he told 
her sadly that their country was on the verge of war, 
that a great inland country wished to annex their 
little independent kingdom because of its seaport 
cities which the great country wished to own and 
control. 

“Oh, but that cannot be Papa!” cried the Princess 
in dismay. 

“Not while there’s a man left to fight for our 
independence,” said her father pacing sadly up and 
down the room. His heart bled for his people and 
he had tried his utmost to avoid this war; but now 
it had come, it must be fought through to the end. 
He explained to Jack that because their country 
was small it would be far harder for them to win, 
as, of course, they had fewer soldiers; but that their 
army was splendidly disciplined and equipped, and 
[ 47 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 




should he call for volunteers he knew that every man 
in the kingdom would come forward to defend his 
country’s liberty. 

^^But what right have they to interfere with us 
Papa?” cried Jack with flashing eyes. 

“No right,” answered the King, and never before 
had Jack seen such a look of sorrow on his face. “No 
right — yet if they threaten to attack us, what can we 
do?” He covered his face with his hands, “and we 
must give our men, our splendid men to be cut down,” 
he said, “or yield to the oppressor. It is a cruel 
choice.” He took her in his arms and tears filled his 
kind grave eyes, tears of which he was not ashamed. 
His heart was bleeding. 

For the first time in her happy life Jack realized 
what it was to be a king. The knowledge awed her. 
It seemed to her that in the few moments she had 
been talking with her father, strange changes had 
come about. She was no longer “little Jack” the 
happy laughing child, she was a woman who could 
think and feel and act as a woman must. Her coun- 
try threatened, her people sent forth to diel Oh, 
what should she do? 

They talked for a long time and then Jack went 
slowly to her own room thinking over what her father 
had said. “Every man in the kingdom would come 
forward to defend his country’s liberty.” The ring- 
ing words thrilled her. Oh, if she were only a man 
who could fight and so help guard their precious 
[ 48 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


^ 

liberty! Suddenly a daring thought came into her 
head, so daring she was scared herself, and looked 
about hastily to see that no one was near — “WHY 
NOT GO ANYWAY?” She had always dressed in 
boys’ clothes, she could shoot and ride and tramp all 
day long and not get tired and she could fight too. 
Determination seized upon her as she remembered 
that fallen robber chief. Oh, she must go, but how 
to manage it? She thought hard for a few moments. 

Once the idea had taken hold, her nimble brain 
worked out plans and details with surprising ease. 
She knew a bit about tactics and drill, for wasn’t she 
“honorary colonel” of a whole regiment of gorgeous 
Hussars? “The Princess’s Own,” they were called. 
Now and then she would order out her own “Black 
Eagle,” who was a “handful” to ride, and review “her 
hussars.” It was all very pretty play, and her “regi- 
ment” worshiped their darling little colonel, but 
that was not the way the Princess wished to go to the 
war. She intended to enlist as a private soldier and 
really fight to help her country. 

But would the King and Queen ever allow it? 
Jack feared not. She decided that couldn’t be helped 
and she would write them a letter and explain. She 
began at once but it took a great many sheets of paper 
before she was satisfied. Afterwards the old nurse 
found all the discarded sheets poked away in Jack’s 
desk and brought them to the King, but they only 


[491 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


made him smile sadly and shed no light on the Prin- 
cess’s plan. 

She began, “Sire,” but scratched it out and wrote : 
“Dear, dearest Father: 

“I am writing to you tonight to tell you of a 
plan upon which I have decided after long and 
careful consideration. [Then she scratched out 
“long,” as she remembered it was only ten min- 
utes, and put in “serious,” instead.] 

“I am going away from home for a time. 
I do not know exactly how long it will be. I 
grieve very much not to be able to say good-bye 
to you and dear Mother and to ask your permis- 
sion for my journey but I am afraid you might 
not grant it. That is the reason I am writing 
instead of speaking, it seems funny when you 
are right down stairs, but if you refused your 
consent then my plan would be thwarted. When 
I come home and tell you about it I am sure you 
will approve that is I hope you will. You know 
you have always wanted me to decide things for 
myself as far as possible, and I remember you 
have often told me that after making a decision 
it is well to act quickly which I am now doing. 

“Please do not make any efforts to find me, 
will you dear Father? [There was a blur where 
a little tear had fallen as she thought of leaving 
Father and Mother and Cousin John and home.] 
I will write to you as often as I can. You will 
trust me, won’t you, and not try to find me? I 
[SO] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


will come back the very first minute I can. With 
dear, dear love and thousands of kisses, 

Your little daughter 

JACK.” 

Later on when the King read the letter he buried 
his head in his hands for a few moments trying not 
to think. Jack gone, little Jack, he could hardly 
believe it. Oh I would she be safe and cared for, she 
who had been so guarded and loved? and how were 
they to live without her presence? Though intensely 
sorrowful he knew the Princess would not do any- 
thing wrong and he felt that he must trust her as she 
asked. 

After thinking it over a little the King was pretty 
sure that Jack must have volunteered to go to the 
front as a nurse. It was known there would be a 
call for nurses and Jack had always loved taking 
care of sick people since she was a tiny girl and had 
a hospital for broken dollies and stray cats and dogs. 
The King was a little hurt that she had feared to ask 
permission for it would have been granted, but in his 
heart of hearts he was glad she had wished to go. 

When the Queen heard the news she could not 
take it so quietly, she was so alarmed for her little 
daughter’s safety. The King had much to do to 
persuade her that Jack had grown up now and was 
thinking for herself. As a matter of fact Jack had 
always done that. 


[511 


CHAPTER VII 


HEN Jack had finished her letter 
she put it safely away and stole 
down to the Armory for a gun and 
bayonet to practice drilling in front 
of the mirror. She couldn’t sleep 
a wink and about six she ran out to 
the stables to find Jim Nolan. Her little Irish maid 
Nora had told her that very day that Jim was hoping 
to enlist. 

She found Jim currying the chestnut mare, her 
own particular pet, but with an absent-minded pat 
on the chestnut’s nose and no sugar at all Jack perched 
herself on a barrel, hugged one knee and unfolded 
to Jim her astounding plans. Poor Jim could only 
gasp. He tried to wipe his brow with the curry 
comb, stammering: 

“Are ye out o’ y’r sinses? Shure Y’r Ryeal ’Igh- 
ness,savin’ y’r prisince,y’re certainly gone clean daft.” 

“Oh, no I’m not,” said the Princess calmly, “and 
another thing, Jim, I should like to borrow your 
name, if you don’t mind and you must tell me all your 
previous history in case I need it. I’m sure it will 
be safer than being an imaginary person,” she added 
to herself, “I might get confused and mix things up.” 

[ 52 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


‘‘Me name?’’ said Jim helplessly, “an phwat 
would I do wid no name?” 

“Oh, take another,” the Princess said cheerfully, 
“Tom O’Rourke or Billy O’Reilly or any other you 
like.” 

It was rather thoughtless of the Princess to seize 
Jim’s name in this way but she had so many herself 
she would have lent them readily. Perhaps she for- 
got Jim had but one. 

“We shall be mates, Jim,” she told him, “and you 
shall be the whole Royal Body Guard and take care 
of me ’till we come home again.” 

Then she jumped from her barrel threw back 
her head and looked very stately and commanding. 

“It is the Royal Wish that you speak of these 
matters to no one,” she said very grandly and ran 
back to the palace leaving poor Jim in a truly piti- 
able state of amazement and despair. A Princess 
of the Reigning House going to the war as a private 
soldier! He, Jim Nolan, to have the awful responsi- 
bility of looking after her; but stop a minute, was he 
Jim Nolan? No he wasn’t. He hadn’t any name 
left, oh yes he had but what was it? It was all very 
bewildering and he curried the chestnut mare three 
times over trying to think it out. She finally became 
indignant and went back to her stall and Jim went 
right on currying the air, his brain was in such a 
whirl. The next two days were quite awful ones 
for Jim Nolan; one minute he was sure he ought to 
[S3] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


tell the King and the next he would remember the 
Princess’s command. 

They could not go for a day or two, as the Princess 
desired him to procure her a disguise. This with 
many misgivings he finally succeeded in doing. She 
flew out to the stables to tell him it fitted “tip-top,” 
in fact during those two days she made him hasty 
little visits to agitate him still further every time she 
had a new and more daring idea. 


[ 54 ] 


CHAPTER VIII 



|T was a lovely June morning when 
the Princess and Jim Nolan went 
forth from the great palace and 
started for the town, the Princess 
all excitement and delight, poor 
^ Jim’s knees almost knocking to- 
gether, he was so alarmed. 

They set out just as day was breaking. Birds 
were singing madly and the dew made everything 
fresh and sweet. Jack took long breaths of the deli- 
cious air and then her sweet face grew sad as she 
remembered how many hearts would ache that fair 
day because of the dreadful war. She found it hard 
to understand. Why, why could not a different way 
be discovered? Why, why must these splendid men 
go out to kill — to be killed? Why, why? She could 
not find the answer. It seemed hopelessly intricate 
and difficulty so, like many another, all she could do 
in her pitiful simplicity was to go herself. 

They covered the six miles to the city in a very 
short time and Jack insisted that first of all they find 
a barber for she intended having her curly head 
cropped close. She quaked a little as they entered 
the shop, fearing recognition, but the little fat bar- 
[ 55 ] 


4 


^ THE PRINCESS JACK 

ber’s face remained unmoved. He only grunted 
“Hein!” in disapproval as the lovely ringlets fell. 
He had a soul for beauty, had that barber. Jim 
Nolan picked up one of the silky bronze circles and 
put it in his wallet alongside of the picture of a little 
Irish lass he had once hoped to marry. 

It was as jaunty and handsome a young soldier lad 
who stepped from the barber’s shop as you would 
wish to see, and no one would have dreamed it was 
the Princess Jack. 

Next they found their way to the recruiting office 
and Jack stepped up to the desk with a salute. 

“If you plaze, sorr,” she said, “I’d loike to enlist.” 

The recruiting officer spoke English as well as 
about five other languages. 

“Name?” he asked curtly. 

“James Nolan, yer Honor.” 

Poor J im in the background gave a jump. There 
was his name clean gone! Up to the last minute he 
had been hoping that the Princess would take a fancy 
to Billy O’Rourke or Tim O’Reilly herself but now 
his last hope was gone. 

“Age?” continued the officer. 

“I be goin’ on twinty year, sorr,” said Jack. She 
could read the next question upside down. It was 
“Birthplace?” and she was just wondering what she 
should say when the officer wrote down “Ireland,” 
with a little smile. 

“Occupation?” came next. 

[ 56 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 



“I — I — know a good bit about the care of horses,” 
said Jack, ‘^but I niver had no stiddy worrk.” 

Jim behind gave a strange kind of gurgle at this 
but clapped his hand over his mouth and was glanced 
at sternly by the Princess. 

Something about this young recruit pleased the 
officer and he asked a few questions on his own 
account. 

“Can you ride?” 

“Shure that I can sorr,” said Jack thinking of 
Black Eagle. 

“Shoot straight?” 

“Yes sorr, pretty well sorr,” for she could not help 
knowing that her eye was true and her hand steady. 

“Ever seen any service?” 

“No sorr, not active service, but I’ve been — in — 
in a rigiment.” Gracious! she nearly said “colonel!” 
“and I know a good bit of drill.” 

“Just the sort of young fellow we need,” mur- 
mured the officer. 

“Next!” 

“This is me friend Tim O’Reilly,” spoke up 
Jack very quickly and distinctly, she was so afraid 
Jim would forget his name. She had drilled him 
on it all the way to town and pointed out repeatedly 
that Tim was nearly like Jim. 

It’s the last part that throubles me,” said Jim, 
“whither its O’Rourke or O’Reilly I niver can be 
shure.” 


[ 57 ] 


^ THE PRINCESS JACK ^ 

The recruiting officer wrote down ^‘Tim O’Reilly” 
at the head of the sheet but after that came the 
question — 

‘‘Age?” 

“Sixty-eight,” said Jim bravely and the officer 
glanced at him sharply and put down his pen. 

“Oh sorr, plaze don’t be throwin’ me out on ac- 
count of me age,” begged Jim, “I’m as strong as the 
next man and many’s the long day’s marchin’ and 
the hard day’s fightin’ I can do yet sorr. I might 
a-said fifty and ye wouldn’t a-knowed the difference 
— Oh sorr, plaze let me go.” 

Jack was startled. Jim had spoken to her of this 
possibility; but she had paid little heed not knowing 
the regulations. She broke in now impulsively and 
was just going to tell of Jim’s former service in the 
army when the officer stopped her with a glance. 

“No need explaining,” he said, “no doubt you 
would make a good soldier; but I have my orders 
and the rules are strict. Pass this way,” he said to 
Jack. “You may report for duty at once.” And 
with one grip of the hand Jack had to say good-bye, 
and go alone. 

She was not put with the raw recruits but was 
assigned to an important infantry regiment called the 
Blue Grenadiers, to which she was very proud to 
belong. 

Then came several weeks of camp life. It was 
all new and strange and interesting, but little Jack 
[ 58 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


had hard lessons to learn of patience and courage 
and endurance. She bore herself gallantly and never 
missed a roll call, though her young limbs often 
ached from fatigue. Sometimes she would be so 
tired after hours of drilling in the hot sun she would 
throw herself down on her little hard camp bed try- 
ing hard to keep the hot tears back. Oh if she could 
but see father and mother and home again, if only 
for a little moment ! Soon some comrade would come 
softly in bringing a cup of the strong black coffee 
soldiers love, for she seemed so young and boyish, 
the rough kindly men looked after her as they would 
a child. And then Jack would jump up and laugh 
a little through the tears and say to herself : 

‘‘This won’t do. We must have a ‘swashing and 
martial outside,’ ” and drink the coffee and be her 
own brave self again. 


[ 59 ] 


CHAPTER IX 


NE morning there was a great stir 
and bustle in the camp. The 
longed-for order had come to 
“break camp,” and that meant that 
the Blue Grenadiers were off to the 
front for active service. Every 
man knew his duty and in a few hours tents were 
down, kits were packed, the great army wagons laden 
and the Blue Grenadiers on the march. They were 
such splendid men, gentle and kind and fine! They 
did not want to kill. Those who loved them — little 
children, and old men and women, and sweet-faced 
wives were so sad to have them go that the light of 
day was blotted out, yet here they were swinging 
gaily along through the dust and heat, chaffing, talk- 
ing, singing. It was a long march and by the sixth 
day Jack, like many another, had need of all her 
courage. On the seventh a rumor flew from man to 
man that that night’s camp would be pitched near 
the enemy’s lines. 

The next few months were very terrible ones and 
little Jack grew familiar with all the dreadful scenes 
of war. She heard the groans of dying men, saw her 
comrades fall around her, knew what it was to crouch 
[ 60 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


all day in the trenches, wet, cold, and hungry and 
creep back to her tent at night too tired to do aught 
but fall stumbling on her cot. 

The Princess Jack grew very grave. She was 
living through an experience that made her young 
heart ache with passionate sorrow, but that also made 
her know and love and understand her people far 
better than she could have done had she but lived 
her sheltered life within the palace walls. Every 
day she saw brave acts of quiet courage among the 
men that thrilled her with love and pride for her 
soldiers; and every day the conviction grew upon 
her that a way must be found and she must help to 
find it so that another war would not come. She 
knew that if all countries resolved war should not 
be, it would not come. It seemed so simple. She 
resolved to work hard to make every one see that. 

One day after long hours of fighting the Color- 
sergeant of the Blue Grenadiers was reported among 
the missing. They found him with a bullet through 
his heart and one dead hand above his head, holding 
the colors high. 

The next day the Colonel made Jack their Color- 
bearer. She was young and handsome and gallant 
and they believed firmly that she held a charmed 
life. Over and over again she had been under heavy 
fire and knew well the sound of bullets whizzing 
close, yet never a hair of her little Royal head was 
injured. 


[ 61 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




Jack was well to be sure, but what an odd little 
figure for a Princess! Her trim uniform was stained 
and torn though she had tried to mend it now and 
then, her face was bronzed and ruddy and often 
grimy from smoke and dust, and her delicate hands 
were rough and hard from the work they did each 
day. 

It is a curious thing that the Princess, tenderly 
nurtured as she had been, stood the exposure and 
hardships of the campaign better than many a rough 
fellow who had never known better fare or softer 
bed. She seemed to thrive and grow stronger on 
hard-tack and beans and sleeping out on the open 
ground. 

There’s a beautiful French motto, “Noblesse 
Oblige.” It means that when you are well born, 
that is when your father and mother and grandfather 
and grandmother have been gentlefolk, brave and un- 
selfish and high-minded, that you must be worthy of 
your inheritance; and so the little Princess Jack 
showed her birth and breeding by her splendid spirit. 


[ 62 ] 


CHAPTER X 


NE morning at the end of the third 
month of the war, the “Blues” 
heard reveille just at day-break. 
They had bivouacked but three 
hours before and were a little sul- 
len and spent from fatigue; but in 
a moment the men were in line and marching down 
a steep ravine behind their Colonel. Soon the ter- 
rible whistling noise they knew so well began. There 
was hardly light enough to see, but now and again 
the enemy’s guns flashed from the opposite hill. 
Every man knew before the order came they were to 
charge that hill. It was cruel, cruel. 

Up they started, creeping, dodging, rushing from 
cover to cover but always gaining ground. Sud- 
denly the enemy’s fire grew heavier; they must have 
been reinforced! 

“FORWARD MEN!” called the Colonel. 
There was an instant’s terrible hesitation. It seemed 
certain death to go a step farther. 

“For God’s sake, forward men!” shouted the 
Colonel. 

Then through the crouching ranks sped a little 
flying figure, the colors held high. She saw the men 
waver. 



[ 63 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


^‘Rally boys!” she cried. ^‘Rally to the colors! 
Bullets never stopped the ‘Blues’!” 

For an instant the little figure was all alone in 
front, staggering up the hill under that pitiless fire; 
then with a rush and a cheer the regiment closed in 
around her and fought like tigers till they gained the 
top. 

Once there they struggled bravely and desperately 
to hold the position till reinforcements joined them ; 
then pushed their way over and down the hill; and 
before the sun had set the King’s army had won a 
victory. 


[ 64 ] 


CHAPTER XI 


HAT night just as Jack was doz- 
ing off exhausted from the day’s 
hard fighting came the General’s 
orderly to her tent. He bore a 
summons for the Color-sergeant, 
James Nolan, to appear before the 
General. Jack scrambled up and obeyed, much im- 
pressed and wondering what was wanted. 

The bluff General looked keenly at her. 

‘‘You have done a brave act today, my lad,” he 
said, holding out his hand. “I have to thank you.” 

“Beg — beg — pardon sorr?” Jack stammered. Her 
bewilderment was so sincere that the General smiled. 

“You led the charge up Pine Tree Hill under 
heavy fire,” he said. 

“Shure ’twas the byes that charged, I came near 
missin’ it all, y’r Honor,” said Jack. “I stopped a 
minute after reveille to splice a stick on the color 
staff that got clean broke with a bullet yisterday, sorr, 
and whin I jined the rigiment, shure the byes was 
half way up the hill. I heard the Colonel shout 
‘Forrard,’ but they didn’t seem to hear for a sicond, 
[ 65 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 




so I jest raiz the colors high an’ yelled and on they 
come.” 

The General smiled again. He liked the little 
Color-sergeant for not admitting that the regiment 
had wavered. 

‘Nevertheless the Colonel has recommended you 
for the Alexander Cross,” he said. 

“Me sorr?” said Jack twirling her cap around 
and around and saluting frantically. 

“Yes, ‘you sorr,’ for ‘courage on the field of 
battle,’ ” said the General. Jack felt a thrill as she 
heard the well known words and for the first time 
realized that it was she who had spurred the men on 
to their dashing charge. 

“Where do you live?” next asked the General. 

This was a poser. 

“In — in — the Ryeal Household sorr,” said Jack, 
sparring for time to think. “Ye see, it’s this way. 
Me friend Jim No — I mean Tim O’Reilly, it’s that 
daft I am wid pleasure sorr, I can’t think sthraight, 
me friend Tim O’Reilly is ’ead groom o’ the Ryeal 
Stables sorr. His Majesty the King sets great store 
by Tim, and bein’ friendly-like Tim and me, I ’elps 
him a-takin’ care o’ the horses, so I hopes I’ll be 
gettin’ my place back, sorr.” 

“I see” said the General. “You’ll not go back 
to Ireland then?” 


[ 66 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


yT Honor, not yit sorr,” said Jack as she 
thought of how blessed it would be to see father and 
mother and home again. 

“Well lad, you’ll be wanting your sleep after the 
day’s work,” said the General, “so I’ll not keep you 
longer, but I will give you some good news for a 
nightcap and you can tell the men in the morning. 
We have taken some important prisoners of war 
today, the most important possible; and as we have 
also established ourselves in a very strong position 
owing to today’s victory, we have reason to hope the 
war is almost ended.” 

There was something very like a tear gleaming 
in the General’s eye as he laid his hand on Jack’s 
shoulder and continued gravely: 

“Had it not been for your brave act, tonight 
might have seen our defeat instead of victory. I 
thank you again, my lad, in the name of the King.” 
Jack could not speak. She wrung the hand the Gen- 
eral offered, saluted and walked slowly to her tent. 
The General’s words were ringing in her ears. Proud 
as she had been at the moment, the Cross was for- 
gotten now. She remembered only the fact that the 
war was over. 

For a long time that night she lay awake on her 
hard little camp bed thinking. Now and again she 
could hear the tinkle of a sheep bell, sometimes the 
whinny of a cavalry horse restless for action. Soon 
would come the gay, quick notes of reveille. She 
[ 67 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


knew now what they meant: ^‘Up, arm, go forth and 
kill.” Tomorrow, thank God, they would sing 
another song. During the early part of the war, 
save for the evening when she and her father talked 
together and she had taken her resolve. Jack had not 
thought much about the meaning of war. The drill- 
ing and preparations in camp had been so taxing 
and novel and noisy and exciting! There was always 
a drum and fife to make one’s feet move more quickly 
or a brass band booming triumphantly, there were 
sabres flashing and colors flying and gold-laced uni- 
forms darting about on prancing chargers. There 
was singing, lots of singing in the mess hall at night. 
Amidst it all there never seemed to be time to remem- 
ber that these gay preparations meant learning how 
to kill. When she and Jim Nolan left the Palace 
that sweet May morning her only thought had been 
what a glorious thing it was to fight for your coun- 
try’s liberty. That thought had not been dimmed, 
but added to it was the grave one, of what avail are 
you to till your country’s fields, to gather in her har- 
vests, when you are lying dead? 

It was only now when she had seen horror on 
horror, when she had heard cries laden with such 
anguish that it seemed her heart would break, when 
she had watched wan women and frightened children 
wandering along the highroad, when she had sat 
beside a comrade and saw a brave life ebb out from a 
sickening wound, that she knew what war meant. 


[68] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Ever afterwards for her the martial music of a mili- 
tary band was to be a funeral dirge. Ever afterward 
when she saw a glittering uniform it meant to her 
only that the smiling gallant wearer might be sent 
forth to kill. 

With all the strength of a great nature, of a warm 
heart, and able brain she resolved that she would 
work unceasingly that such things might not be. Oh 
how thankful, how thankful she was the war was 
over! The weeping, the sacrifice, the aching hearts, 
the young lives laid down had not been given in vain. 
Her country had kept its independence. The war 
was ended, and she. Little Jack, had helped. 


[ 69 ] 


CHAPTER XII 


next morning there was cheer- 
and shouting when Jack spread 
welcome news. Some of the 
even began packing up their 
to be ready for the homeward 
ch. 

Soon the word went about that the “important 
prisoners-of-war” were on parole and were walking 
about the camp and in a moment more, somehow, 
everyone knew who they were. Who but the Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the enemy’s army and three of 
his Generals! Now the Commander-in-Chief was 
no other than His Royal Highness, the second son of 
the Emperor. 

Little Jack looked at him curiously from the door 
of her tent and gave a great start. Behold! the gal- 
lant young cousin of Princeling, he who had ridden 
away that morning with a backward look, he whom 
Jack had thought was so much more kingly than his 
cousin the little Princeling. 

To Jack’s confusion he caught her intent look 
and smiling a little sorrowfully called her to him. 

“So this is the Color-sergeant of yesterday,” he 
said. “Well lad, we acknowledge your brave act 
though it has cost us dear.” 



[ 70 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Jack knelt and kissed his hand as befitted a soldier 
to a Prince; and thought she had never seen anyone 
so handsome, so sad, and with such princely dignity. 
He stood talking to her for several moments looking 
closely in her face while Jack cast down her eyes 
and grew rosy red under his earnest gaze. 

“You make me think of someone I have seen 
before my lad,” he said, “someone whom I long to 
see again.” And then Jack’s heart beat very fast. 
She dreamed of him that night and for many nights 
thereafter and remembered every accent of his voice. 

You will see that to hold the Prince as prisoner- 
of-war enabled the King to dictate terms. And indeed 
the Emperor’s army was quite disorganized without 
its chief. He was a real Commander for he did not 
believe in sitting at home in the war office mixing 
things up by sending telegrams, but was out in the 
field directing all that was done, like Napoleon. 


[ 71 ] 


CHAPTER XIII 


HE General had said to Jack the 
end of the war really had come. 
The Emperor of the big country 
was a good deal surprised at the 
little country’s fierce resistance; 
also it was very disconcerting to 
have the young Prince, the Commander-in-Chief, 
and three of his ablest Generals taken prisoners, not 
to speak of a good many thousand men besides. 

The Emperor decided that those seaport cities 
were not so very important to him after all, at any 
rate not important enough to try and prolong the 
campaign through the winter, so he sent a messenger 
to the King acknowledging the little country’s in- 
dependence and promising not to meddle again. 

Even those who went about with white faces and 
for whom life could never again be happy, were 
great-hearted enough to be thankful, but oh how 
passionately amidst the tumult they longed to live 
to see the day when there should be no more war. 
They longed to know that if the beloved son had 
gone, the little toddling boy who called him father 
should not go too, and they believed in their hearts 
[72] 




THE PRINCESS JACK 


and said to each other, “Surely when so many feel as 
we do, it will come about.” 

The good King was glad indeed as you may 
imagine, and all over the land flags were flying, bells 
were ringing and people rejoicing that they had kept 
their liberty. 

Soon the troops came marching home, and it 
was a proud day for Jack when the “Blues” marched 
in the city’s gates, the Color-sergeant at their head 
and the country’s flag held high! 

They were formally welcomed by the Mayor of 
the City and given a banquet with speeches, and the 
little Color-sergeant was obliged to come forward 
and be patted on the head by the Mayor and the Cor- 
poration. It was most embarrassing; but as the 
Mayor finished his neat little speech and Jack was 
returning to her seat, sweet in her ears rang the cheers 
of her comrades. They loved her indeed, for not a 
soldier of the “Blues” but was man enough to 
acknowledge that he had faltered on that dreadful 
day as even brave men will at times and that the 
courage of the little Color-sergeant had saved the 
honor of the regiment. 

Jack had often wondered how her transfer from 
a soldier back to a Princess was to be accomplished 
and Oh, how she wanted to go home! 

The Colonel had told the regiment that in a day 
or two there was to be a great parade before the King 
and to this the men looked forward eagerly, but Jack 


[ 73 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


could not wait. The day after the Mayor’s banquet 
she asked and received a leave of absence pending 
her discharge and dispatching a hasty note to Jim 
Nolan to make ready for her coming, flew back to 
the palace to change from her uniform and then to 
throw herself into her father’s and mother’s arms. 

You may think the King and Queen were glad. 
She had written often assuring them that she was 
well; but the letters had been very short and sadly 
lacking in detail; and the King and Queen had 
hungered sorely for the sight of her. Jack begged 
them not to ask her ‘^for a little while” where she had 
been or what she had been doing, promising to tell 
them “all about it soon;” and though the King and 
Queen were naturally curious to know, for the mo- 
ment it was enough to have their little daughter back 
again, safe and sound and well. 

You see Jack found “telling all about it” difficult; 
for running away to war is an unusual thing for Royal 
Princesses to do, and Jack was sure the Queen would 
be horrified when she should know. 

She made up several different beginnings in her 
mind. One was to say: “I have been through the 
war as a soldier,” and explain the rest afterwards; 
and another was to lead up gradually to the subject. 
She was considering which method to pursue when 
Jim Nolan brought her a letter. It was sealed with 
a great red seal and was addressed to “Color-sergeant 
James Nblan at the Royal Stables.” 

[ 74 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Jack opened it wonderingly and behold, it was 
an official command from the Colonel of the ‘‘Blues,” 
desiring Color-sergeant James Nolan, late of the regi- 
ment of Blue Grenadiers of His Majesty’s Army, to 
appear before the King at a review to be held on the 
following day, and receive the Alexander Cross for 
“courage on the field of battle P 

Here was a dilemma! She and Jim consulted to- 
gether; that is she consulted and Jim listened re- 
spectfully. 

“Perhaps it is the best way to tell them after all,” 
she said excitedly, “and oh Jim, aren’t you glad the 
General didn’t forget about the Alexander Cross?” 

Shortly afterwards she found the King reading 
a letter aloud to the Queen. Jack noticed the envelope 
had the same big red seal as her own. 

“It seems there is a young soldier named James 
Nolan belonging to the Blue Grenadiers who has won 
the Alexander Cross,” the King was saying. “I am 
to decorate him tomorrow at a review of the regi- 
ment.” 

Then he happened to look up and caught the sight 
of Jack’s glowing face. 

“Do you know anything about it?” he added 
quickly; for he was pretty sure now she had been to 
the front as a nurse, as her return had coincided with 
the return of the troops. 

“I, Father?” Jack exclaimed — she had not been 
parrying awkward questions for three months for 
[ 75 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK ^ 

nothing— “Why, I should think if the Colonel says 
the young man deserves the Cross it must be true.” 

The King laughed and kissed her, with a funny 
quizzical look that made her blush, and went on 
reading — 

“Hello!” he exclaimed, “if it wasn’t the young 
Color-sergeant of the “Blues” who led the charge up 
Pine Tree Hill! I remember now the name was 
Nolan. I wonder if he’s any relative of Jim’s! Send 
for James Nolan at the stables,” he said, to a servant. 

“Oh, let me go!” cried Jack, and flew off lest Jim 
should enter the King’s presence before she had time 
to coach him. She might have trusted him for poor 
Jim, nearly bursting with his secret, had already had 
to use his wits on more than one occasion. 

“She knows something about it,” laughed the 
King, little thinking it was Jack herself who had so 
bravely won the precious bit of bronze. 

“Now Jim,” said the Princess, holding him firmly 
by the coat collar, “the Kmg wants you. Come right 
along but mind what you say.” 

She scurried him along, protesting feebly. 

“But phwat shall I say?” he pleaded helplessly. 
The Princess always made him think so quick! Now 
that she was at home he thought his inventive powers 
might have a rest. They had been sorely taxed at 
the time of the charge, when the papers reported his 
namesake’s gallantry. 


[ 76 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 




“It doesn’t matter what you say,” said Jack, “so 
long as you don’t tell. You see when they find I’ve 
won the Alexander Cross, perhaps they won’t mind 
my having been to the war;” and then they entered 
the Royal Presence. 

“I hear it was a young soldier bearing the same 
name as yours who led the charge up Pine Tree Hill,” 
said the King. “I thought you would be interested to 
know that I am to decorate him tomorrow. Is he any 
relation?” 

Jack hovered anxiously behind the King tele- 
graphing signals to the embarrassed Jim, who stood 
first on one leg and then on the other, pulling his 
forelock. She was thinking it would have been better 
had she chosen Billy O’Rourke or Tim O’Reilly. 

“No, Y’r ’Ighness, not exactly a relation,” stam- 
mered Jim, “but I know him well, sorr. He’s very 
friendly-like and many’s the time he’s come a-visiting 
me in the stables and a-helpin’ me wid the horses 
sorr.” 

The expression in Jack’s startled eyes was too 
amusing for Jim to resist. Besides, had she not stolen 
his name in the most high-handed way and never said 
“By your leave!” 

“Is it possible?” said the King kindly. “Then 
perhaps you would like to be present tomorrow?” 

“Indade and indade I would sorr,” said Jim, and 
Jack gave a sigh of relief; but jumped as he went on. 

[ 77 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


‘^The young man was here yesterday sorr a-tellin’ 
me about the review and how he was goin’ to get the 
Alexander Cross; and about the name sorr, you see 
Nolan’s no bad name, and there’d be many might take 
a fancy to it.” 

“So ho!” said the King. “Well, whatever his 
name, he’s a brave and gallant lad, and we owe him 
more than we can pay,” and the King waved his hand 
in dismissal, adding: “We shall start at ten tomor- 
row, and I will ride “Black Prince.” 


[ 78 ] 


CHAPTER XIV 


HE great day dawned clear and 
beautiful. Jack had slept little 
from excitement, and was up and 
away long before the palace was 
astir. 

Donning her uniform she rode 
rapidly into town and joined her mates, receiving 
from them many a hearty handclasp. 

The sun was high overhead when the long 
lines of the Blue Grenadiers were drawn up on the 
parade ground, awaiting the arrival of the King. So 
short a time had elapsed since their return from the 
front there had been no time for new uniforms, and 
the men stood just as they had fought in worn and 
ragged dress, with tarnished gold and drooping 
tassels; some of them with empty sleeves and some 
with bandages ; but all with loyal hearts, which beat 
fast as the gallant figure of the King approached. 

As Jack caught sight of him, the colors waved a 
little and her hand trembled. How splendid and 
kingly he looked as he rode by bowing right and left! 
Ah I none knew so well as she what a great heart beat 
beneath that brave exterior, or how it had suffered 
during the terrible war. Behind him were his 
[ 79 ] 



THE PRINCESS JACK 


equerries, and then Jim Nolan, scanning eagerly the 
ranks. They passed quickly and dismounted. 

Then the General who had called Jack to his 
tent made a long speech and saluted, and the King 
made a short speech and saluted, and the rank and 
file stood “attention.” A few commands were given 
and Jack found herself standing alone in front of 
the King. 

The visor of her cap was well forward and the 
King did not recognize her until just as he was about 
to pin the Cross of Honor on her breast. As she knelt 
before him she looked up and their eyes met. 

It was a hard test even for a King’s powers of self 
command, but father and daughter were of Royal 
blood and stood it well. 

“My little girl!” was all the King said, a passion 
of tenderness in his lowered voice; but aloud only 
the customary words : 

“You have won it bravely, wear it honorably.” 

Jack kissed his hand, clung to it a second and 
rose, stepping back to retake her place and receive 
again the Colors. 

And what of the feelings meanwhile of Jim 
Nolan, standing behind the King trying to quiet the 
fiery horses and his own thoughts. How proud he 
was, as he saw Jack rejoin the regiment, the Cross 
upon her breast! 

Then the King spoke again, this time with a 
glistening eye and a tremor in his voice. 


[ 80 ] 


p== 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


men,” he said, “it has given me great happi- 
ness today to award ^for courage on the field of battle’ 
the Alexander Cross to one of your comrades who 
has won it nobly,” and here he had to stop a moment 
for a lustry cheer went up, “but it gives me still 
greater happiness to feel that, had the opportunity 
been given, not a man of you but would have risen 
to meet it gallantly. I give you all the medal of 
deep love and gratitude in the heart of your King.” 

And then you should have heard the shouting and 
the cheering and the “vivas” that rang out! The 
King still trusted them, aye, and thanked them tool 
They felt their honor was retrieved and not a man 
there that day but would have given gladly his heart’s 
blood to serve the King. 

When the cheering had quieted down, the 
Colonel’s voice was heard : 

“Attention! For’d march!” and the litle Color- 
sergeant, still beside her mates, held the colors high 
as the regiment broke into a quickstep back to 
barracks. 

You can imagine the King’s mind was in some- 
thing of a tumult as he rode to the palace ; but he had 
given Jack his confidence and it must not be with- 
drawn. Fortunately he had not long to wait, for that 
afternoon the Color-sergeant of the “Blues” asked 
and received an “honorable discharge,” and rode 
quickly to the palace, this time to run to the King and 
Queen, little ragged soldier as she was, and tell them 
all the wonderful story. 


[ 81 ] 


CHAPTER XV 


FTER Jack had laughed and cried 
and the King and Queen had 
laughed and cried, and Cousin 
John had wiped his spectacles re- 
peatedly and madly ruffled his 
hair, Jack went flying to the stables 
n, and what a state of joyful excite- 
ment he was in you can perhaps imagine. With the 
greatest sternness she charged secrecy upon him, but 
this time Jim Nolan disobeyed. He had nearly burst 
for months and months, and now would have his say. 
Before night everybody in the palace knew, while 
by the next day the whole country rang with the sur- 
prising news. 

There certainly was an excitement 1 All the Court 
ladies and gentlemen stared at each other and said 
“What?” and, “But,” and, “Our Princess Jack a 
soldier!” and all kinds of other exclamations. All 
over the land for days and days no one could talk of 
anything else save of how the Princess Jack had 
fought through the war in the ranks and finally led 
the famous charge of Pine Tree Hill. 

If the people were wild with delight, what of the 
“Blues?” To think of it! Their Jim, their comrade 
[ 82 ] 




THE PRINCESS JACK 


r=- ■ ^ 

who had camped with them, marched with them, 
messed with them shoulder to shoulder, and finally 
rallied them so splendidly! They had loved her be- 
fore, aye and dearly too, but now their love came 
near to adoration as they remembered the morning 
of the charge and knew that the little Color-sergeant 
was their Royal Princess. 

In the market place one morning when tongues 
were busy with the news, a man was heard to say: 

“If the Princess Jack can do all that, why 
shouldn’t she make a splendid King — I mean 
Queen?” 

“But what about the Salic law?” said his neigh- 
bor. 

“Oh hang the Salic law!” said the first man. Then 
everybody looked very much alarmed and it was 
whispered about all over the city that somebody, no 
one knew who, had wished to “hang the Salic law!” 

The next morning the same bold man was heard 
to say : 

“Why not abolish the Salic law and make our 
Princess Jack the heir?” 

“Oh my!” gasped all the people ’round about, but 
then they began to ask themselves, “Why not?” and 
soon all over the country the people were clamoring 
for the Princess Jack to be made the heir. They 
prepared a petition to the King, signed by ten thou- 
sand prominent subjects. It was so big that it took 
four horses to drag it to the palace and the Court 

[ 83 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Pages were obliged to trundle it in to the Hall of 
State in a wheel-barrow. 

The King granted the petition instantly, he was 
so afraid he would be obliged to read it; and then too 
he had always been sure the Princess would make a 
better King than Cousin John. 

So in a twinkling the ancient Salic law was null 
and void, and the Princess Jack proclaimed the heir. 

And who was so glad as the ex-heir-presumptive? 
He took the thirty volumes on ruling to a lonely 
spot back of the Palace and made of them a famous 
bonfire, putting them on one by one so as to make the 
pleasure last longer. When there was nothing left 
but a few gray ashes he gave them a vicious little 
poke, as he thought of the weary hours they repre- 
sented, and went back to his butterflies and beetles, 
perfectly delighted that now he would never have to 
be a King. And I may tell you here that that pleasant 
crackly bonfire caused the ex-heir-presumptive a deal 
of trouble in years to come. It seems there was only 
one set of “How To Be A Good King” in the 
whole country, because of course only one person at 
a time ever had to study it. Now the books were 
needed for the Princess Jack; but she took the news 
of their destruction airily, not to say joyfully. 

“Oh, but Cousin John knows them all by heart,” 
she said, “and whenever I need to know anything 
about ruling I can send for him.” 


[ 84 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Long years afterwards, when the good King, full 
of years and honors, had been gathered to his fathers, 
and Queen Johanna Marietta Elizabeth, etc., reigned 
in his stead, long-suffering Cousin John was liable 
to be summoned from his laboratory at any moment. 

The Young Queen’s feminine intuition, which her 
mother had found so useful, generally helped her to 
solve a knotty case; but sometimes even this would 
not do, and then Cousin John would be required to 
dig from his memory Chapter 8 of Volume 10 of the 
great work. He would roll it out exactly as a phono- 
graph rolls out what has been put within, his mind 
meanwhile remaining behind him in the laboratory; 
but he loved the Young Queen so dearly that he did 
not mind. 


[851 


CHAPTER XVI 


OMETHING very interesting 
happened to the Princess Jack a 
little while before the bold man 
in the market place said, ^^Hang 
the Salic law!” 

When the Prince, the Com- 
of the Emperor’s Army who was 
taken prisoner, heard that the young Color-sergeant 
who led the charge was the Royal Princess Johanna 
Marietta Elizabeth, etc., he determined to go a-woo- 
ing. He remembered with a thrill the little figure 
of the Princess as she stood that morning by her tent. 
No wonder he had thought she resembled some one 
that he knew and “longed to see again!” Even more 
than her beauty and her sweetness when she was the 
Princess in her father’s palace, had her rallying of 
her regiment stirred his admiration. 

So ardent a lover was he, he could not wait to 
send the usual letter, but journeyed in great state to 
the King’s palace. Asking an audience with the 
King he formally begged the hand of the Princess 
Marietta Elizabeth, etc., etc., in marriage. 

“The Princess took me prisoner, you know. Sire,” 
he said, ‘‘and now I am her prisoner for life.” 



[ 86 ] 




THE PRINCESS JACK 


The Prince looked very handsome as he stood 
waiting before the King. He was tall and blonde, 
with intense blue eyes that were now soft and dreamy, 
now fiery and keen. His brow was very fair but his 
cheeks and chin were covered with a silky red-gold 
beard; and although they had been enemies, the King 
knew this splendid Prince was very wise and good. 
So the King was greatly pleased, but remembering a 
similar occasion, before he made reply he sent a sum- 
mons to the Princess Jack. 

Soon Jack came down and stood a moment shyly 
in the doorway. Her boyish clothes had been dis- 
carded and she was clad in a lovely robe of palest 
blue, her only ornament a silver fillet around her 
graceful head. She made a lovely picture as she 
came slowly in and stood beside the throne. 

“My daughter,” said the King gravely, “this great 
Prince has journeyed hither to ask the honor of thy 
hand in marriage.” 

“And what is thy Royal Wish, oh Sire?” she mur- 
mured, oh so meekly, not even daring to raise her 
eyes. Oh the demure little Princess! Well she knew 
the Royal Wish else had she not been summoned 1 

“The Royal Wish but coincides with thine, my 
daughter,” said the King. 

Then the Princess left her father’s side and steal- 
ing her little hand into the big one of the Prince said : 

“And my wish coincides with thine, my Prince.” 

[ 87 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


Soon afterwards there was a very grand marriage 
ceremony in the cathedral and a great fete afterwards 
at the palace. For a second time the Princess wore 
the Royal ermine robe of state. It was fastened to 
her shoulders this time, but was still too heavy, so 
the eight pages bore it as before. And the wedding 
dress was the very loveliest you could possibly im- 
agine. It was all exquisite lace over cloth of silver, 
which shimmered and gleamed through the lace in 
a wonderful way, and on her little curly head was her 
Princess’s coronet of whitest silver set with pearls 
and on her breast she wore the Alexander Cross. 

The Prince looked very handsome too, and his 
father and mother, the Emperor and Empress, and 
their eldest son, and all the other neighboring royal- 
ties and dukes and duchesses and counts and count- 
esses and lords and ladies came to the wedding; and 
there was great feasting and rejoicing throughout the 
land. 

Among the visitors was little Princeling, the one 
who ran away, still with his bulldog and his mono- 
cle. When he saw the beautiful Princess in her 
bridal robes, he couldn’t help thinking he had been 
a little hasty. The Princess bowed kindly to him as 
he kissed her hand, but gave a funny little sigh of 
thankfulness that she had climbed that cherry tree. 

And how about the “knickies”? 

Once in a long time she and the Prince Consort 
and dear old Cousin John, would go off to the woods 
[ 88 ] 


THE PRINCESS JACK 


camping, and she would put on her corduroys and 
the cap with the red feather for just a little while. 
But that was the only time, for it really would not do 
you know, for a grown-up-married lady who was 
going to be a Queen. 

And so they were married, and all the people 
said that the Princess Jack and the gallant Prince 
Consort were the handsomest pair their eyes had ever 
looked upon. And in a few more years a little curly 
headed boy was romping in the Royal nurseries, and 
so it didn’t matter any more at all about the Salic law. 


[ 89 ] 






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